


Little Joy

by Anica



Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Because Science Is Hard, Bratty Hannibal, Child Murder, Fluff, Hannibal is Hannibal, KidHannibal, Kidnapping, Kinda, M/M, Magic, Murder, Nightmares, Pre-Slash, References to Hannibal Rising, Self-Harm, Spanking, Then Annoyed, Then Protective, Will is Confused
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-10
Updated: 2014-01-13
Packaged: 2018-01-08 06:22:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,139
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1129348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anica/pseuds/Anica
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Will finally accepts an invitation to dinner but when he arrives there's only a little boy in a bloody shirt.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I saw some art with a de-aged Hannibal and thought it was too cute. I can't be the only one that wanted this to happen.
> 
> Loads of thanks to HixyStix, who read my rough draft and didn't run screaming. Thank you!

“Will, would you like to join me for dinner tomorrow?” Hannibal Lecter asked as he walked Will out of his office.

“Tomorrow?” Will asked, more surprised than he should have been.

“Is it too short notice? I apologize, I-”

“-No,” Will shook his head. “No, it’s … tomorrow? Am I that unstable?”

“I’m inviting you to dinner,” Hannibal smiled. “It will not be a session.”

“Just conversations?” Will said, smiling this time.

Hannibal nodded once. “And a vintage port.” 

“Well …”

“Please,” Hannibal leaned against the doorway, edging into Will’s personal space.

“Yeah,” Will sighed, feeling awkward. “Yeah, I’ll be there.” Will turned to leave but spun back around.

“Should I bring anything?”

“Just yourself,” Hannibal shook his head, looking quite amused.

Will turned to go, paused as if to ask another question but then decided against it and kept going.

Hannibal found the awkwardness quite endearing.

Will had been about to ask if this was a date, but stopped, realizing how ridiculous it was. Even if the doctor didn’t think he was as unstable as Alana had, there was no way he would look twice at the disheveled mess that was Will Graham. Not a man like him.

****

Mrs. Komeda lit a few candles and filled a stone mortar with a handful of dried plants. She threw in some berries and ash from the little bit of hair she was able to find in Hannibal’s private bathroom. Using the stone, she ground it together and poured it into the center of the table. Around the small pile she made a circle out of the melted wax.

She slipped on her glasses and squinted at the aged paper in her hands.

“Quid est felicitas. Quaero enim pace,” She recited the words, holding the paper closer. The room was dim and her astigmatism was making the words blur. She gave a frustrated sigh and decided to power through it. “Da huic unum tempus suae beatitudinis. Da pacem momento. Et sanavi eum.”

She flipped the candle over and let the wax cover the pile of leaves, berries and burnt hair.

“There you go, my dear,” she smiled. “Happiness will be yours with the rising sun.”

****

Will was going to cancel their dinner plans.

He called a few times but got no answer. Will couldn’t just not show up. Well, honestly, he could, but after being welcomed into Hannibal’s house on countless occasions without any warning he felt slightly guilty to stand the man up without an apology.

He was just going to have to deal with it and go.

Will entertained the thought that the doctor had ignored his calls on purpose just so Will would not be able to back out of their arrangement. He might have been irritated at such manipulation, but Will trusted the doctor had his best interests at heart.

When he arrived, he found the house dark and quiet. The doctor’s car was parked in its usual place and as far as Will knew the doctor only had the one Bentley. He dismissed the idea that the doctor had wandered off on foot or had left with someone. He would have called Will if he had to cancel their dinner. He dialed the doctor’s cell and landline and heard both go off within the house.

Will got an uneasy feeling, a sixth sense left over from his days on the force. He circled the house and saw that there was a bathroom light left on. He called out a few times but heard nothing inside.

Thinking that Dr. Lecter might be inside and hurt was reason enough to go back to his car and get a crowbar to pry the back door open. He had barely enough time to turn on the lights in the dinning room before the phone started to ring.

Will cursed. It must have been the alarm company. He picked up the phone in an effort to avoid the swarms of police they would send.

“Is this Dr. Hannibal Lecter?” the voice, a young man, asked.

“Yes, yes,” Will said. “There was just a problem with the door. It’s all fixed now.”

“That’s good to hear,” the man said, obviously not caring what the reason was. “If I can just get the code, I’ll let you be on your way.”

“The code?” Will stalled as he tried to think of what to do next.

“Yes sir, the phrase to deactivate the alarm.”

“The phrase,” Will repeated again, trying to think of what a man like Hannibal would chose as code. “Just a moment, I have written here somewhere.”

Will closed his eyes, trying to push the panic away so he could concentrate on stepping into the doctor’s mind.

“Veni, vidi, vici,” a small voice muttered.

Will turned to see a small blond boy, no older than eight, in the doorway of the dinning room, wearing and adult size shirt that covered him past his knees. Will’s eyes flew to the blood that stained the sleeve and the front of the shirt and then to the knife held loosely in the small hand.

The child sighed, looking past Will and muttered, “The code, it’s Veni, vidi, vici.”

Will repeated the Latin words, listened to the acknowledgment and hung up quickly.

The boy appeared to be slightly dazed. He stood there passively while Will slipped the knife out of his small hand.

“Where is Dr. Lecter?” Will said, looking over the boy with concern.

“Down the rabbit hole, I’m starting to think,” came the soft reply before the boy looked up with large maroon eyes. “Did you have to break my door, Will?”

Will blinked and found himself unable to form the words he desperately wanted to say.

“You should sit down,” the boy said and led Will to the table, pulling a chair out.

“Dr. Le- Hannibal?” Will finally questioned.

“Yes, it’s me,” the boy nodded and sat in a chair next to Will.

The young man tried not to focus on how the small, thin legs swung over the side of the chair.

“How did this happen?” Will reached out but the boy flinched.

“I don’t know,” the small features were marred with such hopelessness that Will had to look away. “I just know this is not a dream.”

Will’s eyes flew to the knife in his hand, and then to blood on the boy’s shirt.

“You cut yourself to make sure you weren’t dreaming?” Will’s concern momentarily overrode the confusion and panic he was feeling.

“I awoke to my clothes hanging off and my feet not reaching the floor from my bed,” Hannibal shook his head, making blonde strands fly into his eyes. “I dare you not to test the limits of that reality.”

“Let me see,” Will said, sounding unreasonably upset.

Hannibal pulled up his left sleeve and showed a clean cut on his upper arm, held together by butterfly bandages.

“That was very dangerous,” Will shook his head in disapproval. “You could have been hurt.”

“Will, I’m still a surgeon. Please, don’t think this physical affliction has in any way hindered me mentally,” Hannibal said with his own look of disapproval, but on the small face it managed to look almost cute.

Will thought better of voicing such opinions.

“And I’m not hallucinating?” Will asked, because that was the only other reasonable conclusion.

“No, Will,” Hannibal shook his head and looked at the clock. “You are Will Graham. You are in my house. It is 8:48 and you are not crazy.”

“Thanks for that,” Will managed a smile. “What do you think happened? You’re the doctor after all.”

Dr. Lecter glared at him, stopping as soon as he realized it came across as a pout. “This … is unknown to me.”

“Should we go to the ER?” Will asked, suddenly upset with himself for not thinking of that right away. He quickly rose. “Come on, I’ll take you.”

“No!” Hannibal jumped from his seat and backed up. He tripped over his long shirt tails and landed on his butt.

“Calm down,” Will held up his hands in a placating manner.

“No,” Hannibal shook his head and scrambled to his feet, hiding behind the other side of the table. “No, they’ll run countless tests and find no answers.”

“You don’t know that,” Will said but truthfully had already decided against it. The fear coming off the small boy was hard for the empath to ignore.

“Will, please,” Hannibal frowned at him from the other side of the room. “Give me a chance to figure out what happened. If not…”

“All right,” Will agreed with a sigh. “But we do this together. I’m not leaving you alone while you’re … like this.”

“I can take care of myself,” Hannibal said.

“So you’re planning on running around in oversized shirts all on your own? Get a couple of your medical books so you can see over the steering wheel?”

“I wasn’t going to go anywhere,” Hannibal said, but it was barely more than a mumble as the boy looked down.

“And what if you keep …” Will shook his head, unable to believe what he was saying. “… getting younger.”

Hannibal’s head snapped up, panicked and frightened, but silent.

“Look, what ever it is,” Will tried to soothe, “between the two of us, maybe we can figure it out.”

Hannibal shrugged. He liked Will. He found the man brilliant and interesting. And beautiful. But that was yesterday. Today, his world had turned upside down and he felt like he was more alone than ever. He understood Will’s offer, even could appreciate it, but didn’t really hold out much hope for the young man helping him.

“How about you pack up what you need and we’ll go to my place.”

“Why your place?” Hannibal asked, not bothering to hide the slight disgust he felt at being in a house which smelled strongly of dog and bad aftershave.

“I’m not leaving you here alone and my dogs will eat each other if I don’t get there by morning,” Will tried to joke but it fell flat.

“That is not my concern,” Hannibal shook his head.

“Hannibal, please,” Will said, as kindly as he could but only received a glare in return.

“It’s Dr. Lecter,” Hannibal said, voice clipped but still tinged with a childish lightness in the accent. Will thought it would be best not to smile.

“Please, Dr. Lecter?”

Hannibal finally nodded and left to gather what he would need. He grabbed a duffel bag and threw in his toothbrush, phone, tablet and chargers. He looked around the room but couldn’t find anything else he would need. None of his clothes fit at the moment.

He pulled on a new shirt, throwing the bloody one in the trash. The new shirt, a black button down, fell past his knees. There was no way of preserving his modesty when it came to underwear.

“Only for tonight,” the doctor said as he took his keys and locked up the house.

Will gave a noncommittal shrug, threw the duffel bag over his shoulder and scooped the boy up in one arm without a thought.

“What are you doing?” Hannibal demanded, squirming but not hard enough to escape.

“You don’t have shoes,” Will reminded him, refusing to let go until they got to the car.

“I’m not sitting in the back.”

“I’m not sure if you’re tall -” Will was cut off by a glare and opened the passenger side door. “Fine, but if we get pulled over, you’re paying the ticket.”

“If we get pulled over, will your top concern not be explaining why there is a half naked child in the car?”

Will frowned, and decided he better drive carefully.

　

***

An hour later, Will carried Hannibal into his house. When the dogs gathered, he looked ready to climb back into the agent’s arms.

“They remember you.” Will smiled, but he sighed when he was met with another glare. He did need to be more understanding. “Are you hungry?”

Hannibal looked him suspiciously. “Are you going to cook?”

“Yes,” Will rolled his eyes. “It’s not in your league but it’ll keep you alive ‘til tomorrow.”

“It takes more than a day to starve,” Hannibal muttered with a certainty that the other man did not pick up on. Still, he follows Will into the kitchen.

“I was suppose to go food shopping this weekend.” Will grimaced as he looks into the sparsely filled fridge. “I make the best grilled cheese.”

“It’s not polite to brag.” Hannibal reprimanded as he sat down at the table. He was tired. It had been the longest day in his recent memory.

Moments later he was presented with a buttery, crispy sandwich cut into triangles. Hannibal bit into to it to be polite and smiled around a mouthful of salty, processed cheese. He did the least amount of chewing possible before swallowing it down.

Will shook his head, more amused than insulted because it was coming from a boy barely over four feet tall, with wide dark eyes, and a tortured look that had no business on such youthful face.

“Maybe it’ll be better with some milk,” Will said, turning his back for just a moment.

When he came back to the table, Hannibal’s plate was empty and seven very happy dogs sat at the boy’s feet. Hannibal smiled innocently and put his empty plate into the sink.

That time Will wasn’t amused.

****

Hannibal curled up on the couch with his tablet and tucked his feet under his shirt.

“I’ll go through the medical archives,” he said, fighting back a yawn. “You can Google it.”

Will rolled his eyes at the abrupt order, chalking it up to the emotional toll this must all be taking on the man. Kid. Dr. Lecter was never openly rude.

Will tried police records, not bothering to tell his young guest that he looked tired and that maybe they should continue tomorrow. Hannibal’s eyes are closing on their own. Less than half an hour later, Will saved the tablet from crashing to floor and sat back down to continue his own research.

Only a few moments later, he caught himself stealing glances at the small blond curled up on his couch. Will was still disbelieving and in shock but neither would help the situation. All he was concerned with now was trying to get the doctor back to normal. He didn’t realize how much he missed the adult version of the blond until he faced the possibility that he would be gone for good.

Without the other being awake, Will was free to study the boy. He was small, but not tiny. Skinny without looking sickly. Will didn’t make a habit of being around little kids, but he had to admit Hannibal was a cute little kid. Without the glares and snarky remarks, the boy looked almost angelic.

It was after eleven before Will felt fully drained by the day. He didn’t know how Hannibal had been able to last as long as he did.

Will came over and lifted Hannibal up. He was sure that the other would wake up and be instantly upset at the intrusion of privacy, but the boy only buried his face in the crook of his neck.

Will took him over to his own bed and laid him down. There was a guest bedroom but Will was not in the habit of keeping it made up for nonexistent visitors. He doubted that Hannibal would appreciate the less than pristine sheets, but at the moment he couldn’t bring himself to care.

He tucked the boy in, resisting the urge to stay in the room. A feeling of protectiveness he can’t blame on his empathy blossomed within him.

Will forced himself to leave the room and return to his research but ended up pouring himself a few fingers of whisky.

Will’s rolled his head back and closed his eyes.

“My name is Will Graham. It’s 11:40 and I’m Wolf Trap, Virginia. My physiatrist has been turned into a kid and is sleeping in my bed.”

He stayed still, not wanting to open his eyes.

He didn’t know how to fix this and the only person he would normally turn to was sleeping in his bed, probably dreaming of sweets and swings and sandboxes.  
Or whatever it was that normal little kids dreamed about.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal deals with the mall, neighbors and his new sizes. Will deals with Hannibal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to HixyStix :D

Will woke up to the sound of a dog whining.

He set up and realized that he was still in his living room. It took one moment to remember why he wasn’t in his bedroom and another to understand that the whining was not coming from his dogs.

Will ran to the bedroom but froze in the doorway. It was hypnotizing to watch someone else stuck in the throes of a nightmare.

Hannibal whimpered and muttered something. He was crying out for someone. That snapped Will out of his daze and he reached out to shake the boy.

No sooner had he touched Hannibal than the child bolted, pressing up against the closest corner. He was shaking and covering his head in a way that Will had only seen on someone traumatized by long term abuse.

“Hannibal,” he called out softly, hands held up to show he meant no harm. “It’s me. It’s Will.” Without knowing why he added, “You’re safe.”

The small hands come down, hallway light illuminating the tear streaked face. Will could see the other’s efforts to pull himself together and he feels a spike of jealousy at how easy it seems to come to the other.

“I’m okay now.” The small voice shakes and Will fights an innate urge to reach for the trembling child.

“Want to talk about it?” Will asks, knowing that’s what Hannibal would ask if Will was the one waking from a nightmare.

Hannibal smiled and Will saw the adult version of the man that he had come to know and felt a loss of something he never had. He think he must never have seen a genuine smile on the man and wonders what could have happened to take it away.

***

Will woke to a yelp and jumped off the couch. He ran out of the den, barely avoiding the smaller dogs as he tried to find where the noise originated from.

Hannibal was on the floor, clutching his foot, and looking as if he was fighting tears.

“What happened?” Will asked, falling to his knees next to the small blond.

“It’s nothing,” Hannibal said, biting his lower lip. “It’s just a splinter.” His pain tolerance seemed to have been lowered with the change. He must have been in shock when he had cut himself yesterday because he had hardly felt it. Now, the splinter was throbbing bad enough to make him cry.

“Oh hell,” Will cursed and shook his head. “I’m sorry. My floors are old and it’s best to wear slippers.”

Hannibal frowned at him. There was no need to state the obvious.

“Right, sorry.” Will shook his head and lifted Hannibal up.

“You don’t have to carry me.” Hannibal frowned at him.

“Sorry,” Will apologized again and set the boy on the sink. “I know you don’t like it but you hurt your foot. If the splinter was anywhere else, I would have let you walk.”

Hannibal sighed. That sounded reasonable. He hated it.

Metal tickled his foot and he jerked away. Hannibal looked down and saw Will looking up with an amused expression.

“I’ll be gentle,” Will promised and up the tweezers.

Hannibal nodded and winced only when Will wasn’t looking.

“I guess we’ll have to go shopping,” Will said as he dug the splinter out.

***

Will went over to his neighbors - the Curtises, an older couple from New York State that loved big dogs and never minded when Will’s little pack invaded their property. He knew no kids lived there but had seen children on multiple occasions.

He made up a story about a visiting nephew who got his only set of clothes messed up beyond repair while playing with the dogs.

The woman cooed and laughed and told stories of grandkids as she gathered sweatshirts and jeans. Sheepishly he asked if she had shoes, causing the woman’s smile to waver momentarily as she found a pair of pink sneakers that her granddaughter had outgrown.

Hannibal took it as well as Will had expected him to. He turned his nose up and refused to put them on.

“You only have to wear them for a bit,” Will said, struggling to stop himself from talking to the other as if he was a little kid. Even if he was acting like one.

“There is no need to get new clothes.” Hannibal glared. “I’m not going to stay like this for long.”

“You’ll be more comfortable,” Will reasoned. “Whatever the solution for all of this is, it will probably not be found in your house or mine. Sooner or later, you’ll have to go out in public. I can guarantee that it’ll be more comfortable in underwear.”

The small blond blushed, took the clothes and went to change in the privacy of the bathroom.

***

“This is a children’s store.” Hannibal glared out the window as they pulled up next to GapKids.

“Does your personal tailor cater to kids?” Will asked, unable to hide a sneer.

“For the amount I pay, I would imagine,” Hannibal muttered but followed Will inside.

The last thing he wanted or needed was to run into someone he knew, even if there was no way they would recognize him. Hannibal could not tolerate the idea of someone seeing him weak, and he had never been as weak as when he had been as a child.

***

When they entered the store, Hannibal unconsciously moved closer to Will. The bright lights, colorful clothing, whining children, and unfamiliar music made him uneasy.

“I changed my mind,” Hannibal said quickly, pulling on Will’s sleeve. “I’ll just wear this and stay inside all day.”

“Maybe this social anxiety is something you should bring up with your doctor.” Will couldn’t help but smirk.

Hannibal tried to frown at him but it came off much more like a pout.

“I’m sorry, all right?” Will said, still unable to stop smiling. “Let’s pick out something and we can go. You need to eat something.”

Hannibal sighed and walked down the aisles. After Will’s first few suggestions were shot down with a hateful glare, he stopped trying. Hannibal was reconsidering going to his tailor after all. There was no way he was going to wear sweaters with cartoon superheroes or animals.

“May I help you?” an older woman, Bethany according to her name tag, came over and asked Will.

“No, we’re fine. My nephew is just picky,” Will said, avoiding her gaze as well as the one from the miniature doctor.

“Well, what do you like to wear, young man?”

“Aš dėvėti odą, jei ji buvo ne tiek susiraukšlėjęs,” Hannibal mumbled in her direction. __

_“Sorry,” Will jumped to stand between. He didn’t know what Hannibal had said but assumed the worse by the tone used. “He is visiting from overseas.”_

_“Oh? Where is he from?” the woman asked._

_“Lithuania,” Will said, frowning because he didn’t know how to make her leave and could see Hannibal was getting irritated._

_“Oh my, you sure have come a long way.” She smiled at the clearly unhappy child. “How are you liking it here so far?”_

_“Jie niekada neras savo kūną,” Hannibal’s smile was all teeth._

_“He said he loves it here,” Will said and pulled Hannibal by his coat towards the back of the store. “Come on, buddy, I think I saw some suit jackets this way.”_

_Once they had succeeded in putting distance between themselves and the woman, Hannibal pulled out of Will’s hold._

_“Did you have to be such a brat?” Will asked and answered Hannibal’s glare with one of his own. “I know this is difficult but how did that help the situation? What if she understood you?”_

_Hannibal shrugged and looked down, “She was nosy.”_

_“Yes,” Will agreed, “but you’re better than this.” Will sighed, frustrated. This was just too weird. “What did you say to her anyway?”_

_Hannibal smiled, eyes still on the floor, and refused to answer._

_**_

_They ended up purchasing sold color button down shirts, a few pullover sweaters with stripes in the middle, a couple pairs of trousers, and a pajama set. Hannibal decided to go with boxers that had boats and anchors instead of plain ones - or superheroes - and Will decided not to say a word._

_Hannibal had refused the shoes that the store offered and Will didn’t argue. The mall was large enough that they were bound to find something Hannibal liked, just as they had with the shirts._

_Two shoe stores later, they were getting on each other’s last nerve._

_“Just pick something,” Will said, glaring at the back of Hannibal’s head as the boy carefully inspected each and every shoe. “I swear, if you don’t choose something in the next two minutes, I’m buying you sneakers that light up when you walk!”_

_“You wouldn’t dare!”_

_“Want to try me?”_

_Will had expected a cunning reply about his mental state as a response, but instead he got a small shoe thrown at his head. Will was too surprised to duck and while he was fumbling for the tossed shoe, Hannibal made a run for the door._

_Will caught up with him a few feet from the store, his longer legs making up the distance in record time. He grabbed the small boy around the middle and pulled him against his chest. Before he could question what had happened and what the doctor had been thinking, he got a lesson in how determined Hannibal Lecter could be._

_“Help!” Hannibal wailed. Will was so shocked he almost dropped the boy. “Help! No! Let go!!”_

_“Hey! What’s going here?” A large security guard ran over as Will tried to maintain his grip on the squirming kid._

_“Nothing-”_

_“-Help! Please! He took me away!” Will was cut off by a very frightened sounding boy._

_“Han-” Will let go of the kid so he could look at him but the boy off took off running as soon as his feet hit the ground._

_When Will tied to follow, he was slammed to the floor and pinned in place by the oversized mall cop._

_“You’re not going anywhere!” the man said. Will could feel his wrists being pulled back into a set of plastic cuffs._

_“No, wait!” Will yelled, trying to keep his eye on the direction Hannibal went. “You don’t understand! You need to go -”_

_“You better believe I don’t understand.”_

_Hannibal only made it a dozen yards, hiding behind the kiosk selling cell phone covers. From there he could see Will being manhandled and shoved against the wall. Hannibal found his anger at the younger man gone as he saw how roughly the guard was treating Will - his Will._

_Hannibal cursed in Lithuanian and ran back to where he had left the younger man._

_“Will you just listen to me?” Will was screaming at the guard who had him pinned against the wall._

_“No, don’t hurt him,” Hannibal did his best to sound childish and scared as he pulled on the guard’s sleeve. “Don’t hurt my uncle!”_

_“Hannibal!” Will sighed with relief that the boy hadn’t run away. He would have time to be angry later._

_“What?” The guard glared at Hannibal and took a step back from Will. “This is your uncle?”_

_Hannibal nodded and used the newly acquired space to stand between the guard and Will. He threw his arms around the bearded man and buried his face against Will’s waist._

_“Then what was that all about? Do you know how dangerous what you just did is, kid?” the guard scolded and knelt to look at the boy._

_Hannibal looked at the guard, a picture of remorse, as tears spilled out. “He was being mean. I’m so sorry. Please don’t take my uncle away.”_

_“What are your parents going to say about this?” the guard said with a look of disappointment._

_“They’re dead,” Hannibal said, more tears slipping out. “I only have my uncle.”_

_“Oh, um, sorry kid.” The guard rose, looking uncomfortable, and cut off Will’s cuffs. “Sorry about that, man.”_

_“Can’t be too careful,” Will muttered and grabbed on to Hannibal as soon as his hands were free. “Sorry for the trouble.”_

_Hannibal was still playing his part, sniffling into Will’s shirt and when he was picked up, he buried his face against the other’s neck. Will rubbed his back, comforting circles, as he felt the soft wet cheek touch his skin. He apologized again to the guard, grabbed their things, and walked away. He knew the doctor was pretending but he liked how the small hands gripped his shirt and the skinny legs clung around his midsection._

_“The guard is gone,” Hannibal whispered against his ear, his voice still a bit shaky from crying. “You could put me down.”_

_“When you’re back to normal, I’m going to punch you in the face,” Will said and made no move to put him down. He wasn’t sure Hannibal wouldn’t run off again._

_“I am sorry, Will,” Hannibal said, lifting his head so he could look at the man that was carrying him._

_“Yeah, yeah,” Will sighed, patting him on the back. “But I still get to punch you.”_

_“You could try,” Hannibal smirked and yelped as he was unceremoniously dropped to the floor._

_“Go wash your face,” Will instructed, holding the mall bathroom door open for him. “We still need to get you shoes.”_

_Hannibal actually grinned at him as he went inside. He caught his own reflection in the mirror over the sink and the smile disappeared._

_***_

_“Come on,” Will said, opening the car door for Hannibal. “I don’t want my neighbor thinking I’m crazy and imagining children.”_

_Hannibal resisted the urge to tease the man about his mental state and slid out of the passenger seat. He had changed from the neighbor’s hand-me-downs and was now wearing dark slacks and a white shirt under a dark pullover._

_“You look nice,” Will said, downplaying how smart the small blond actually looked._

_Hannibal only sighed and let the way up to the front door._

_Will handed over the bag of clothes and thanked his neighbor, but he should have known escape would not be easy._

_“You must be Will’s nephew!” Mrs. Curtis cupped Hannibal’s chin and Will was shocked when the doctor didn’t jerk away. “Oh, you’re such a handsome little man. Look at those eyes!” She glanced up at Will and back at the boy. "You are going to be a heartbreaker. I have a fresh batch of sugar cookies! Come inside.”_

_“I’m not supposed to have sweets,” Hannibal said politely._

_“Oh, a few cookies won’t hurt.” She winked and stepped aside to let them in. “Good uncles spoil their nephews!”_

_Hannibal looked to Will for help but the empath was at a loss. The doctor suppressed a sigh and walked into the house._

_“You should use a little less vanilla and a touch more butter,” Hannibal said after the first bite._

_“Hannibal!” Will almost choked on his own cookie because even as social awkward as he was, he was sure critiquing old ladies about their cookies was wrong._

_“Sorry,” Hannibal mumbled, realizing that his helpful suggestion might have come off as rude._

_“Oh, that’s okay,” Mrs. Curtis managed a smile. “I think he might be right. Do you like to bake cookies?”_

_“I prefer a fine cut of meat.” Hannibal smiled at her confusion._

_***_

_“I want coffee.” Hannibal frowned at Will from across the table._

_“You’re a doctor. You know that’s not a good idea,” Will said, reasonably. “Eat your breakfast before you pass out. I don’t think one cookie is enough to make up for over a day of not eating.”_

_Hannibal’s stomach growled and he picked at the fruit on his plate. He hadn’t eaten anything except that one bite of the grilled cheese sandwich the day before. He wanted coffee. He wanted to be in his kitchen, with his own food, drinking his own coffee. He wanted to wake up from this nightmare._

_Instead all he could do was glare at his plate._

_“If I mix a bit of coffee into some milk, will that make you happy?”_

_“No,” Hannibal shook his head, feeling too drained to be upset._

_He knew that he shouldn’t be drinking coffee while in this condition but that didn’t stop the desire. He wanted some scotch too, but figured he was better off waiting until Will wasn’t paying attention to sneak either._

_“When can we go back to my place?” Hannibal asked._

_“I don’t think that’s a good idea,” Will shook his head and ignored the irritated look he got in response. “If someone did this to you, they might be waiting to finish whatever it is they started.”_

_“You believe someone did this to me?” Hannibal asked, looking doubtful._

_“You think this happened on its own?” Will gave him an equally doubtful look. “Like an allergic reaction to the new detergent your cleaners are using?”_

_“It’s more logical that someone found a cure for aging and infected me for some devious plan?”_

_“I think it would best to leave logic out of this,” Will sighed. Whatever was happening was definitely not logical._

_“You can’t keep me here on theory that lacks any rational basis,” Hannibal said, after swallowing down a mouthful of pancakes._

_“Rationale is another word for logic.” Will smiled. “And I’m not keeping you here. I just think ‘til we know what’s going on we should err on the side of caution.”_

_Hannibal muttered something hateful under his breath in Lithuanian because he had no argument._

_Being this small brought out insecurities he had spent a lifetime overcoming. He didn’t know what had caused this sudden physical change but knew it was responsible for the flood of emotions._

_He was scared. Everyone towered over him. He knew how to take a man apart with a knife but at four feet tall and about fifty pounds, he knew he was limited._

_Hannibal hated the idea of needing Will, but the idea of being on his own right now was terrifying. What made it worse was that he couldn’t think of another person that he’d rather be with. There was a strength within the unstable man and he knew that Will would do anything to keep him safe._

_He found his own weakness disgusting._

_***_

_Will took off his glasses and rubbed his eyes. He caught himself reading the same paragraph over and over. He needed a break. When he glanced up, Hannibal didn’t seem to be having the same problem. The small face seemed to be completely fixated on the article he was reading._

_“Do you feel any different?” Will asked but got no response. “Dr. Lecter?”_

_“Hmm?” The dark eyes never left the screen but the head tilted up a little._

_“Do you feel any different?” Will asked again. “I don’t remember what it feels like to be … um, eight? How does it feel?”_

_“I don’t feel any different.” Hannibal said, not taking his eyes off the tablet._

_That was a lie. He woke up full of energy and now he felt tired and cranky. He wanted sugar and to stretch his legs and run around. He wasn’t about to tell Will all that. He didn’t want to be treated differently._

_“Are you hungry? Do you want a snack?”_

_“If you need a break, Will, that is quite all right but some of us have work to do.” Hannibal refused to look up from an article on advances in skin restoration, even though it was quite obvious that it had nothing to do with his situation._

_“Speaking of work,” Will asked, “what are you going to do come Monday?”_

_Hannibal frowned. It was Sunday. As optimistic as he wanted to be, he didn’t think this would be all resolved by morning._

_“I guess I must cancel my appointments,” Hannibal sighed and reached for his phone._

_“Here,” Will stretched out his hand to take the phone. “Let me do it.”_

_“I can -”_

_“They’ll think it’s a prank call,” Will said, smiling but not mocking. “I’ll tell them I’m your new secretary and that you had a family emergency.”_

_“Thank you,” Hannibal said, genuinely grateful._

_“Any social engagements you need to break?”_

_“Not this week,” Hannibal smiled at the surprised look on the other’s face. “I do enjoy the occasional evening at home, Will.”_

_Will snorted and made the calls, sounding polite and professional on every single one of them. He told them the doctor could be reached by email but advised against calling._

_“You have a missed call from a Mrs. Komeda?” Will said, finger over the call button. “Should I return her call?”_

_“No,” Hannibal shakes his head. “This way I will not be forced to decline any invitation.”_

_“You’re right, we didn’t buy you anything appropriate for a party.”_

_“I never realized how humorous you are,” Hannibal said dryly._

_The last call was to the FBI._

_Hannibal tried to pretend he didn’t hear or didn’t care that Will was taking time off._

_Will didn’t miss the sigh of relief that unwittingly escaped Hannibal._

_***_

_“Hannibal!” Will yelled as he looked around the house, feeling panic rise._

_“Out here, Will.”_

_Will followed the voice to his backyard. He found the blond surrounded by the dogs, his head thrown back as he observed the sky. Will glanced up but saw nothing but the usual view._

_“I don’t get this many stars in the city,” Hannibal explained._

_Will smiled. They’d had a long day of shopping and researching that resulted in nothing. Dinner had been simple and peaceful. Will was tired of staring at his computer all day and couldn’t stomach the thought of another minute._

_Star gazing seemed like the perfect distraction. Hannibal was starting to look worn out. It was pulling on his empathy without even trying to take over Hannibal’s frame of mind._

_He set on the grass, legs in a half lotus, and tugged on Hannibal’s arm._

_“I don’t think so.” The boy gave him a very grown up glare._

_“Oh, would you get the stick out of your ass just this once?” Will shook his head and gave a hard pull._

_The boy ended up in his lap, but quickly moved to sit on the grass besides Will._

_“That’s not fair,” Hannibal pouted at him._

_“I’m sorry,” Will said, sounding anything but, and laid back, arms behind his head so he could watch the sky._

_After a moment of sulking, Hannibal laid back on the grass next to him._

_“It’s been a while since I’ve seen so many stars,” Hannibal said softly. “Or maybe it’s been a while since I cared to look.”_

_“When this is over, and it will be,” Will promised. “You can come here anytime to look at the stars.”_

_“What if I want to come inside?” Hannibal asked and Will could hear a smile in his voice._

_“Don’t push it.”_

_There was an amused snort from the boy and a deep sigh. Comfortable silence followed and it was a while before Will realized Hannibal had drifted off to sleep._

_For the second night in a row, Will found himself carrying the boy to bed. This time the guest bed was ready, made up with brand new sheets, and free of dog hair for the moment. He slipped off the boy’s shoes and covered him up._

_“Sweet dreams,” he whispered and made sure not to close the door._

_***_

_Will was in his own bed this time when he heard Hannibal crying out in his sleep. Not wanting a repeat of yesterday, he kept his distance and turned on the lights._

_The blond didn’t wake up, just kept twisting and mumbling something Will couldn’t make out._

_“Hannibal, I need you to wake up,” Will knelt by the bed. “It’s Will. You’re in my house and you’re safe and you just have to open your eyes. I promise, you’re safe.”_

_Will sighed with relief when he saw the boy’s eyes flutter and stay open._

_“Will?” Hannibal asked, trembling._

_“Yeah, it’s me.” He reached out to wipe the tears away, only to stop when the boy flinched._

_“It’s all right,” Will reassured him._

_“How is this all right?” Hannibal shook his head, wiping his face and glaring at him._

_“It’s all right because if anyone can get through this, it’s you.”_

_“You barely know me.” Hannibal shook his head and turned away,_

_“I know enough,” Will reassured him. “I know this is probably bringing up bad memories for you but you’re safe here. I won’t let anything happen to you.”_

_Hannibal pulled the blanket up to his chin because pulling it over his head would be just too childish._

_Will got the point anyway and left, shutting the lights and leaving the door open._

_Feeling insecure and wanting Will close by had been horrible. It left Hannibal filled with self loathing. It was a strange new feeling that he did not like._

_Having Will act as if Hannibal was nothing but a scared child that needed protection, his protection, was more than he could handle. He waited for the house to grow quiet and slipped on his shoes._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More coming soon. Let me know what you think of KidHannibal!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hannibal is still having a hard time with the change and Will's patience reach a limit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to HixyStix for being awesome! 
> 
> Note: That 'Child Murder' tag... yea that's here.

Will woke to banging on his door and the sound of dogs running. Will made his way to the door, not yet fully awake.

Jack? Will wondered. . . No, Jack would call first… where was his phone?

Flashes of red and blue coming from his front yard only registered with Will once he had the door open. He flinched from the lights and wondered if he was still sleeping.

“Sir?” The silhouette of a man blocked the lights. Will blinked and stepped back.

Will’s eyes dropped when there was movement at his side and he was suddenly awake.

“Hannibal?”

“Yeah, I found this little guy about ten miles down the road,” the officer said, looking down at what he figured was a sulking child caught running away because he probably didn’t get his way.

“Christ, Hannibal! You could have been hurt!”

“Oh, we had a long talk about wandering alone this late at night,” the officer reassured with a warm chuckle that made Will want to punch him in the throat. “Don’t you have something to say to your uncle?”

“Thanks for bringing him home,” Will said, interrupting the cop’s chance to play family therapist. “I’m going to make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“Oh yeah, sure, seems like a really good kid, don’t be too hard on him,” the officer said as Will grabbed Hannibal by the shirt and yanked him inside.

“Yeah, thanks,” Will nodded and shut the door and glared at the silent boy. “What the hell were you thinking? Where were you going?”

“Home,” Hannibal mumbled, feeling defensive and slightly annoyed at being returned.

“It’s not safe to be wandering around in the middle of the night!”

“Yes, Officer Kent informed me. He appeared too friendly, if you ask me.”

“That’s my point! Why did you leave?”

Hannibal shrugged.

“Very mature!” Will growled and marched him towards the stairs. “Come on, we’re going back to bed.”

Inside the guestroom, Will grabbed some pajamas and the extra blanket.

“What are you doing?” Hannibal asked, looking confused.

“You didn’t really think I was going to let you out of my sight after that stunt, did you?” Will asked, his voice clipped.

“You don’t like people in your personal space,” Hannibal reminded Will but still followed him into the master bedroom.

“You’re the exception,” Will said, trying to sound pleasant but he was clearly still upset.

Hannibal frowned at the bed as Will laid the second blanket down for him so there would some sense of privacy.

“Put on the pajamas and go to sleep,” Will said, sounding tired. “Think you can do that without making it an argument?”

Hannibal sighed and did as he was told. He was upset at being caught. He had been angry at Will for broadcasting his weakness, for thinking that he could keep Hannibal safe. By the time the officer had spotted him, most of the anger had dissipated.

Now Will was the angry one and that bothered Hannibal more than he wanted to admit.

He laid down and pulled the blanket up to his chin. He didn’t think he could sleep. He was unused to the emotional turmoil inside him. He turned on his stomach and faced Will.

“I’m sorry,” he muttered, half heartedly.

Will snorted, accepting it in the same manner it was given and laid his hand on the Hannibal’s back. The boy seemed so fragile under his rough hand. He didn’t know how to feel anything but protective. He rubbed soothing circles, only intending to let the other know that they were all right but almost instantly the breathing evened out and Hannibal was asleep.

Will figured it must have been the ten mile hike the child had taken before being picked up by the police and certainly not the comfort his touch offered.

He was only half right.

****

Will woke up alone in bed and only felt panicked until he got down the stairs. He smelled something sweet and buttery coming from the kitchen and found Hannibal on a stepstool at the stove. He poured the batter into the frying pan and used both hands to move it around. There was plate of crepes stacked about an inch high.

“Coffee is ready,” Hannibal said, acknowledging Will’s presence with a nod towards the coffee maker.

“You’re not doing this because of last night, are you?” Will poured himself a cup and leaned against the counter to watch him.

“No,” Hannibal muttered and refused to look at him.

“Good,” Will smiled and went to set the table.

***

Will removed his glasses and rubbed his eyes. His research only resulted in children who were conned by the adults in their life to believing that they were reincarnation of dead relatives and those suffering from medical conditions that kept them from aging or growing.

There was a disorder called progeria that caused children to age at ten times the normal rate but nothing that would result in the opposite happening. Nothing outside the Brad Pitt movie that would happen over night.

Days of nothing but research was starting to wear on him.

“Want to go to for a walk or the park?” Will asked, aching to get out of the house.

“Do you have an urge to push me on the swings, Will?”

“There is definitely an urge to push you,” Will admitted, hiding a smile behind his tablet at the sullen look he received.

“I guess it would not hurt to take a break,” Hannibal sighed and set his tablet down. “A walk would be nice. You can bring your dogs.”

“Thanks, your lordship,” Will huffed.

“It’s actually Count Lecter,” Hannibal informed him, grinning for the first time that day.

“Of course it is,” Will rolled his eyes and threw a pillow at the boy.

***

The walk was as quiet as he had expected. Hannibal walked beside him but was obviously light years away mentally.

“You’re worried that we won’t be able to undo what ever this is,” Will stated. “You think you’ll lose everything that you worked hard to achieve.”

“Don’t emphasize with me,” Hannibal grinned at him, though it looked sad somehow.

Will didn’t bother reassuring him again. He was starting to lose hope himself. “We have pretty much exhausted our medical research material. Maybe it’s time we try something else?”

“What else is there?” Hannibal shook his head. “I hope you’re not suggesting the supernatural.”

“You’re quick to dismiss it but here you are, the biggest five year old I’ve ever seen,” Will teased.

“I’m not five,” Hannibal frowned and kicked dirt at the taller man, “I’m at least seven. Maybe eight.”

“You could be nine if you want,” Will told him, “Doesn’t change the fact that we haven’t found anything like this in any of your medical journals or police records. Maybe it’s time we see a doctor.”

“No, the most it would accomplish is having a disorder named after me.”

“It doesn’t look like a disorder,” Will sighed. The fresh air wasn’t helping as much as he had hoped. “What if it was something supernatural?”

“There is no such thing.”

“Just because you don’t believe in it, doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist,” Will told him, surprising himself that he was playing the devil’s advocate.

“Just because someone believes it to be true does not make it so,” Hannibal argued.

Will nodded and there was a moment’s a silence as Winston came over and nudged a stick into Hannibal’s hand.

“No,” Hannibal frowned at the dog. The stick was covered in dirt and dog drool. It was just not going to happen.

Will took the stick and threw it as far as he could, causing all the dogs to take off running. A small rat terrier ended up bringing the stick back and Will held it out for Hannibal.

“No,” Hannibal said again, using the same voice he used on the dogs.

“Just give it a try,” Will nudged his shoulder.

There was a long-suffering sigh as he took the stick and threw it as far as his arms would let him.

“Happy?” Hannibal glared, clearly upset by the limitations of his small body.

“You should relax your arm a little,” Will said, grabbing the stick from Winston.

Standing at Hannibal’s side, he placed the stick in the small hand and showed him how to get better distance on his throw.

“This is ridiculous,” Hannibal said after a few throws, but he was grinning.

“Yea, it is,” Will agreed with a laugh. “Dinner?”

“Maybe we can take another walk after?” Hannibal asked as they started to make their way back.

“Sure,” Will nodded as he glanced at the sky. “We’ll wait for the stars to come out.”

“Do you have any sweets?” Hannibal asked, softly, refusing to look at Will. He liked desserts but could not remember the last time he craved something sweet and maybe chocolatey. He could barely recall any craving that didn’t require hunting since his youth. He only hoped Will didn’t notice.

“Yea,” Will said, suppressing a smile and keeping his eyes on the sky above. “I think I have some ice cream and maybe enough ingredients to make cookies. You’ll have to take a look.”

***

Hannibal frowned at his phone. He had a missed call from Mrs. Komeda earlier that morning and now she was calling again. She hardly ever called him and this was the third time in as many days.

“Do you want me to answer that?” Will asked, looking over his shoulder.

“If it’s not too much trouble,” Hannibal handed over the phone. “Please be polite.”

“As if Dr. Lecter’s personal assistant would be anything else,” Will laughs and answers the phone.

***

“Are you going to make me sleep in your bedroom?” Hannibal asked, having changed into pajamas and curled up on the couch with some tea, a handful of cookies, and his ever present tablet.

“Are you going to run off again?”

“No,” Hannibal frowned, and refused to meet his eyes.

“I trust you,” Will returning his own gaze to the article he had been reading. “But you can stay with me if you’re more comfortable.”

“No,” Hannibal said, with a touch of sorrow.

Having Will close by might keep the nightmares away. Hannibal wasn’t sure if there was any truth in that but he definitely was not going to ask for it. He was just going to have to learn how to handle it on his own like he had the first time around.

***

Will eye’s fluttered tiredly and he glanced at the small body next to him.

Hannibal had once again fallen asleep on the couch and Will placed him in his own bed. There had been no nightmares. The boy barely stirred all night. It was as if the boy’s body was making up for the hours of sleep he had missed in the last few days.

Will fell back asleep with a smile on his face.

***

The next time Will opened his eyes he was alone in bed. This time he didn’t panic. He took his time and went to the bathroom and washed his face.

“What’s for breakfast?” Will called out, only to realize he was talking to himself.

The kitchen was empty. Will rushed to the backyard and that was empty too.

“Hannibal!” he called out a few times as he circled the house.

His panic was starting to grow by the moment. He ran inside to throw on his sneakers and grab his keys. He didn’t care why the other had left, but he was going to drag him back to where it was safe and tie him down if he had to. The idea of Hannibal hurt had somehow become unimaginably painful for him over the past few days.

He got to the door just as it swung open. Hannibal was sweaty, out of breath but happy and unharmed.

“Will? Are you ok?”

Will sunk to his knees as he continued to look the boy over.

“What happened? Where did you go?”

“Happened?” Hannibal grinned. “I just went for a jog, Will!”

“Jog? Do you know how worried I was?”

Hannibal shrugged. “I don’t see why you should be worried.”

“After the stunt you pulled? Trying to walk to Baltimore?”

Hannibal’s look of disregard made Will snap momentarily. He grabbed the blond’s shoulder spun him around and swatted him three times, not holding much back. When he let go, Hannibal turned to him with wide, watery and clearly in shock.

“Christ, Hannibal, I’m sorry,” Will said, realizing what he had done. “I don’t know-”

“It’s all right,” Hannibal interrupted, fighting the urge to reach back and rub the sting away. “I’m a guest in your house and I’ve been very rude.”

“No, you aren’t rude,” Will chewed his lip, feeling horrible for what he had done but not all that sorry. Between the mall incident and being brought home by an officer in middle of the night, Will thought he should have done this before to save himself the mild heart attack he’d had this morning. “But you can be pretty insufferable.”

“I really have been, huh?” Hannibal sighed.

“Understandably so,” Will reassured him.

“But not acceptable. I am sorry,” Hannibal insisted. He couldn’t stand rudeness in others and it was unacceptable for himself as well.

“Don’t leave without letting me know. Is that reasonable?” Will asked.

“Yes,” Hannibal nodded. “I promise.”

Will surprised them both when he grabbed the boy and hugged him tightly. He had really been terrified.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Hannibal said, trying to sound reassuring.

“Oh? That so?” Will said, swatting the kid in his arm again, harder than before.

There was a yelp, followed by laughter. They stayed like that for a short while before Hannibal pulled back, looking a bit bashful but not any worse for wear.

“So, what are you going to make me for breakfast?” Will asked, and was rewarded with a wide smile.

***

Will wasn’t surprised to see Jack’s name on his caller ID. The man was bound to call sooner or later.

“Jack, I can’t,” Will started but the agent knew the magic words that would shut him up and get him moving.

“It’s a kid, Will,” Jack had said. “Ryan Summers. He went missing two years ago. The body hasn’t been here long so someone’s been keeping him. I need you here.”

“I’m on my way,” Will said and hung up.

He got his things, debating taking Hannibal to the scene. In the end he decided against it.

“I’ll be back as soon as I can,” Will promised. “Don’t leave!”

“I’ll be good,” Hannibal assured him and couldn’t help adding, “just please don’t spank me.”

“Let the dogs out in hour and stay away from my alcohol,” Will smirked. “I’ve seen you eyeing it.”

“Only so I can speak to the state of your liver in case something happens to you,” Hannibal replied and returning his attention to the tablet.

Will wasn’t sure if he wanted to drop a kiss on the blond head as he passed or just smack it.

***

The mood at the scene was somber. No one was making any extra noise.

Ryan Summers, he had been told, went missing from his home over two years ago at age seven. Taken out of his backyard in broad daylight. No witnesses. No clues. The parents had been arguing and didn’t realize their son was gone.

No sign of abuse, except for bruises around one ankle that indicated he’d been kept a prisoner. No sign of malnutrition.

“He wanted a child,” Will told Jack. “Either to replace one he lost or one that was taken away.”

“How do you know it was a man?”

“I just know. There’s a feeling of patriarchy and masculinity in the way he treated the boy. It’s a single man, mid forties, white …” Will trailed off as he forced himself to look again. “And now he’s missing a son.”

“You think he’ll take another?”

“I know he’ll take another,” Will frowned as he knelt by the boy. “I just don’t know why he needed to kill this one.”

“Maybe he didn’t want to play out whatever fantasy this guy wanted,” Jack suggested.

“We adapt to survive, he would have played along,” Will shook his head. “No, something happened. Either this boy didn’t fit the fantasy anymore or he found his next victim.”

　

***

Hannibal opened the backdoor and let the dogs out. He watched the dogs take care of business and then proceed to play with each other.

Suddenly he had the strangest feeling that he was being watched. He was sure of it.

Or maybe he was being overly sensitive to being left alone after spending the last few days practically attached to Will’s side.

Or there was someone out there.

Which would be ridiculous if he didn’t know better.

Hannibal called the dogs into the house and locked the door behind himself. He wished Will would get home soon and hated how much comfort the man’s presence offered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry? Not Sorry? I'm not sure.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It has to get worse before it gets better. And then it gets better again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now when I apologize it's not because of all my writing errors. HixyStix is thank for all of this!

“Smells good,” Will said, said putting a lot of effort into sounding upbeat.

Hannibal frowned at him. He didn’t want Will pretending on his behalf.

“It was a particularly hard case,” Hannibal said. It was not a question.

“Please don’t tell me you’ve been on Lound’s website,” Will frowned as he set at the table and helped himself to some stew.

“The news didn’t make it to the other sites yet,” Hannibal shrugged. “And I wanted to know what kind of mood you would be in when you returned.”

“I’m fine,” Will took a bite of the food and smiled. “This is really good. You made this out of the stuff in my fridge?”

“No, I went hunting,” Hannibal deadpanned. “I hope you weren’t too fond of your neighbors.”

“Not practically, no,” Will managed a smile.

“Tell me about the case.”

“I’d rather not talk about it,” Will said.

“Is it because the victim is a child?” Hannibal asked even though he knew the answer.

Will remained silent. He kept eating because he didn’t want to upset Hannibal but he had completely lost his appetite.

“I’m here, I’m safe and I’m not actually a child,” Hannibal reassured him and moved from his seat across the table to the one next to the sometimes agent. “Tell me what the killer wanted.”

“A son,” Will said, putting his spoon down.

“What do you think is the reason for the boy’s death?”

“He wasn’t the son the man wanted,” Will explained. “He’s going to take another and I can’t stop him.”

***

Will dreamed about finding Hannibal’s young body. Suffocated and left in a blanket, remorseful and loved, but cold and dead none the less.

He was woken to Hannibal shaking his shoulder and calling out his name.

“I’m up,” Will set up in bed and discarded his soaked shirt.

“What did you dream about?” Hannibal asked as Will got off the bed to get a towel.

“What do you dream about?” Will challenged.

There was a long pause and Will considered apologizing. Hannibal was just trying to do his job, Will was just… well, he wasn’t trying to pry. He just wanted to help.

“I dream of my sister,” Hannibal said softly.

“I didn’t know you have a sister,” Will said and then felt extremely stupid.

“I don’t.” Hannibal swallowed around the lump in his throat. 

“I dreamed that you were the dead boy,” Will told him, feeling it in no way equated with what was shared with him.

“I’m not dead. I’m right here,” Hannibal said and when Will set on the bed, he slipped his small hand into Will’s large, rough one. “I promised, remember? I’m not going anywhere.”

***

Will was woken up by Jack’s call. There was another boy missing.

“I want you here as soon as possible,” Jack said before hanging up.

Will groaned and got up. He checked the time and was surprised to find it was already past nine.

“Was that Jack?” the now familiar, high pitched childish voice asked behind him.

“Yeah, it might be nothing,” Will reasoned as he threw on some clothes. “I mean nothing to do with the case. You know how child abduction cases are.”

Hannibal nodded and disappeared down the stairs. When Will came down, there was a travel mug full of coffee waiting for him.

“There is breakfast but I assumed you would tell me there was no time,” Hannibal reasoned from his usual place on the couch, feet tucked in under himself and tablet in hand.

“I don’t know how long I’ll be,” Will said, taking a sip of the coffee. “Try not to stay on that thing all day, ok?”

“Yes, father,” Hannibal looked up with beautifully faked sincerity.

“That’s my boy,” Will shot back, grinning over into his mug the whole way to the car.

***

“Kenny Brown was waiting for his mother by the car,” Jack said as they walked around the front of the house.

“Neighbors?” Will asked he looked around the neighborhood. It was a normal suburban neighborhood. Nothing stood out.

“They were running late,” Jack said and held out a picture of the young boy. “Most had left for work already.”

Will looked down at the picture. He looked like a younger version of Ryan Summers.

Not unlike Hannibal.

“I need to go home,” Will said, staring at the picture.

“What could be more important than a missing child?” Jack barked.

Will shook his head and didn’t answer. He was just being paranoid and he knew it. Still, he dug out his cell phone and dialed Hannibal’s number.

“Still here,” Hannibal said in a way of greeting.

Will felt slightly foolish. Even more so that the doctor had known what he was thinking and the reason for the call.

“Good,” Will muttered. “Let the dogs out.”

There was a little snort on the other end before the phone disconnected.

“What was that all about?” Jack asked.

“I had to check in on someone,” Will shrugged in explanation. “This man wouldn’t just take the child. He would have made contact before.”

“Let’s go talk to the mother,” Jack said and lead the way inside.

***  
Hannibal lead the way to the back door and opened it.

“Out you go,” he said to the dogs and laughed.

He was talking to the dogs. A week ago he was topping the FBI’s Most Wanted and now he was talking to dogs and getting rebuked by Will Graham, of all people. Hannibal winced. He had deserved that. He was mature enough to admit that he been unreasonably rude and Will had done his best to be understanding.

Hannibal was brought out of his musing by the sound of twigs snapping. He turned to see the uniformed officer from the other night stepping onto the porch.

“Officer Kent,” Hannibal said pleasantly, standing still even as his senses told him to run.   
“Good afternoon.”

“Aren’t you a polite little guy?” Office Kent gushed. “What are you doing here all on your own?”

“I’m not on my own,” Hannibal said, inching towards the safety of the house. “My uncle is inside.”

“Don’t lie!” the man barked, face darkening for a moment. He quickly - and with some obvious effort - composed himself. “Little boys shouldn’t lie.”

Hannibal licked his lips and evened out his breathing. He had no doubt who he was facing and what the man was here for.

“I’m sorry,” he said, trying to look it. “I’m not supposed to talk to anyone while my uncle is at work. I’ll be in trouble.”

“But I’m a police officer. You can always talk to police officer, right?”

Hannibal managed a smile.

“I’m actually here to take you to him. I just saw him working. He’s with the FBI, right?” Office Kent spoke softly and moved closer. “Well, he told me that he was going to be stuck there for a long time and he wanted me bring you to him.”

Hannibal was sure that Officer Kent had seen Will. He must have seen Will while the agent worked the Ryan Summers case. Some killers couldn’t help making themselves part of the investigation. Being an officer, no one would have questioned his presence. Hannibal couldn’t be sure if it was Kent’s intention to take him since they first met or if it had been inspired by seeing Will at the scene. The only thing he was sure about was that it would be hours before the agent even knew he was gone.

“I’m supposed to take care of the dogs,” Hannibal told the man as he advanced.

“They’ll be fine. Come here, kid”

“I’m not-”

“I said come here!” The officer lunged at Hannibal.

Hannibal had been waiting for the move and took off running. He had always been fast. Had to be fast. But the small legs were no match for the long strides of the tall man. He felt the man’s bulk slam into him and he was powerless to stop it when the force of the contact snapped his head onto the ground.

Office Kent picked up the limp boy and brushed some of the dirt off his clothes.

“That wasn’t very nice, son.” The man shook his head and carried him to the back of his police car. “Oh, well, boys will be boys.”

***  
　  
Will knew something was wrong when he pulled up to the house and his dogs greeted him at the car. He ran inside and found the house empty.

Will circled the house but found nothing.

If Hannibal had gone for another jog, he was going to strangle him.

But even as the as the thought crossed his mind he knew that it wasn’t possible. Hannibal had promised not to leave.

For a lack of a better option, Will jumped in his car and started driving down the road, hoping to find a small, moody child. He’d rather Hannibal have broken his word than be in any danger.

Will’s phone rang and he seriously considered not answering it, but he couldn’t bring himself ignore Jack.

“They found the boy, Kenneth Brown. He’s dehydrated but unharmed. The son of bitch just left him on the side of the road in middle of nowhere.” Will imagined the agent shaking his head. “What the hell was that all about?”

Will pulled over and tried to concentrate but he couldn’t think of anything other than Hannibal.

“Oh, and get this, the boy said it was a policeman,” Jack growled into the phone. “Impersonating a police officer on top of everything. I don’t know, Will. Think it’s the   
same guy?”

“Maybe you need to interview the people in the Ryan Summers case,” Will advised, feeling cold dread spread through him. “They could have seen a police car but never thought to mention it.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll do that,” Jack grumbled. “I guess there’s nothing for you to do at this time, but don’t go far in case we need you.”

Will’s hand were shaking. All he could think of was the dark silhouette of the officer dropping Hannibal off in middle of the night. Officer Kent, Hannibal had called him. He had said the officer seemed too friendly but Will had brushed it off as a smart ass remark to distract Will from what he had done.

Maybe that’s all it was.

Or maybe Kenny Brown was a distraction to get him out of the house.

Will reached for his phone and started his search for Officer Kent.

***

Hannibal woke up in a blue room that had seen better days. There were worn out toys strewn about the floor and in the middle, a small wooden table with Legos scattered on top. Officer Kent was sitting on the edge of the bed, grinning down at him.

His head throbbed. It was making thinking hard. He felt cold, heavy steel against his ankle and was momentarily grateful that it was not around his neck.

“Here we are, buddy,” the officer said cheerfully, hand reaching out towards Hannibal’s face.

The small blond couldn’t help but flinch.

“Hey, it’s okay. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’m really sorry, okay pal?” The man touched his face gently. “Are you going to be a good boy for Daddy?”

Hannibal could do that. He had done worse to stay alive. Will would find him. Hopefully sooner rather than later.

“I’ll be good,” Hannibal nodded, and some of the fear he was showing was not fake.

The man was large by regular standards. Against a child, he might as well have been a giant. Last time Hannibal had faced giants, he had lost. Even as he told himself he would fine, he could feel panic rising.

He was just as helpless as when the men had taken his sister. He was just as helpless as those first years in the orphanage. He was nothing but a small boy. He was the prey once more.

“Good,” Officer Kent smiled widely. “Good, because if you’re bad and you try to leave me, I’ll kill your uncle.”

Hannibal stilled. A coldness spread through him and he felt his nerves calm.

On some level he knew this was a trick abusers use to scare children into submission but it didn’t matter.

He was not going to let this man hurt his Will.

***

Hannibal spent an hour chatting in an appropriately childish manner with the man to gain his confidence. He asked to play with the toys and asked Kent to join. He asked the man about being an officer and made sure to tell the man how much more interesting he found it than his uncle’s FBI job.

“I’m hungry,” Hannibal whined at what he imagined would be the appropriate time for lunch.

“I’ll get you something to eat, champ,” the man said and rose to leave.

“Can I go with you?” Hannibal smiled, “Please?”

“No, you have to stay here for now,” Kent told the boy.

“But I’m scared alone,” Hannibal pouted. “I’ll be good.”

“You’ll be okay,” the man reassured and left with a loud clank of the lock slipping into place.

Hannibal tested the chain. It was long enough to get around the room and probably just outside the door if it was opened. He looked around the room for anything sharp but came up empty. All the toys had been plastic, with no significant weight behind them.

Kent returned with a plate of chicken fingers and fries.

Hannibal shook his head. “No.”

“Come on, buddy, you said you were hungry.”

“Processed food is bad for growth.” Hannibal did his best to look sincerely concerned but not rude. “It’s not good for you to eat it, either.”

“Is that what your uncle has been teaching you?” Kent shook his head. “Damn hippies. Look, it’s fine. I eat it all the time and look at me.”

“I want a steak,” Hannibal said, pushing the plate away and trying his best to come off as charming. “Please, Daddy?”

The man had looked like he was about to deny his request until Hannibal spoke those magic words.

“Yeah, I think I have some in the freezer.” The man gave him an indulgent smile and ruffled Hannibal’s hair. “Don’t get used to it. You’ll eat me out of house and home.”

Hannibal only grinned.

***

Will blocked his number as he called each different station. There were quite a few officers who had the surname Kent. He knew he could save some time if he brought in Jack, but there would be no way to protect Hannibal from all the attention that followed.

Will nervously drummed his fingers against his thigh and waited for someone to pick up the phone so he could cross another name off his list.

***

“I need a fork and a knife,” Hannibal said, grinning up at Officer Kent with expertly feigned gratitude.

“Oh,” the man looked down almost sheepishly at the plate and then reached for it. He was used to providing finger foods. “Yeah, just give me a sec, I’ll get it cut up for you.”

“I can do it myself,” Hannibal said pulling the plate closer to him. “I’ll show you. I’m not a baby.”

The man had looked slightly suspicious but shrugged it off. He was a grown man. What could a small underweight kid do to him with a steak knife?

Hannibal sneered at the meat when the man left. Every word out his mouth chipped away at his ego and he was counting down the moments until he could stop the threat on Will’s life and free himself.

He had been ready to survive, but that was no longer enough. 

He was going to rewrite history. 

The man returned quickly with the utensils and Hannibal held out his hand.

“Maybe I should I do this,” the man hesitated.

“You can hold my hand,” Hannibal offered, smiling widely. “I know how to cut it really well, I just want to show you.”

“Alright.” Kent chuckled and went to stand behind the boy.

Hannibal got up for better leverage, took the knife in his right hand and fork in his left.

“You’re supposed to pin the meat down,” Hannibal explained as he held the steak down with his fork, his index finger perfectly balanced on the back, even though it was larger than he had been used to. “You must cut against the grain so the meat is easier to chew. Just put your hand over mine.”

Kent did, placing his large hand gently over the doctor’s, genuinely curious and obviously amused by the kid’s tone. Between the hand and the cheap cut of meat, it was not easy to cut but Hannibal managed to do it with the right amount force and determination.

“Well, look at that, kid,” Kent straightened and patted Hannibal on the shoulder. “That’s some talent you got there.”

Hannibal only grinned, took the knife in both his hands to make up for his grip and turned around quickly. He plunged the knife into the man’s thigh and severed his femoral artery. 

Blood sprayed across the room and the man instantly dropped to his knees. His hand reached out for Hannibal, unable to speak.

Hannibal licked his lips and smiled. “I would have let you live. I would have given you to Will Graham. He would have slept better at night knowing you were gone, but you threatened him and I just can’t have that.”

The man’s lungs exhaled one last time and the last image he saw was a blond child smiling down at him, licking the blood off his fingers.

***

Officer Kent’s house was not unlike the one that belonged to Will Graham. A few acres in each direction kept neighbors from getting too close.

The police cruiser was parked outside the house and felt cold to the touch. They had been home for quite some time. Will didn’t have enough for a warrant. If he was wrong, jail was the least of his worries. He’d end up shot and Hannibal would still be missing.

He kicked in the door, hands on his gun as he entered the house. Nothing moved inside. 

No one came running to see what happened. He moved around the house as quietly as possible until he reached the basement door. It had solid wood with a an open pad lock hanging from the side. He swung it open, gun at the ready, mentally prepared for anything.

He did not expect to find a small boy, covered in blood and ready to attack.

“Will!” Hannibal sounded relieved as he dropped the knife and raced to the stunned man.

Will recovered enough to kneel and grab the shaking child. He ignored the blood and held on tightly.

“I got you,” Will said softly as small arms went around his neck. “Is he dead?”

“I cut his femoral artery,” Hannibal said, making sure to sound remorseful. “He’s the one that killed that boy, right?”

“Yeah,” Will shook his head trying to clear. “We have to go. We have to make sure there’s no trace of you here.”

“Jack doesn’t know?” Hannibal asked even though he knew the answer.

“No,” Will said, arms tightening against the small boy. “I’ll take care of this.”

“I need the key,” Hannibal explained. “I searched his pockets but I couldn’t find them.”

“They’re probably on his car keys,” Will set the boy down, “Are you ok?”

Hannibal looked over his shoulder at Kent’s body, then nodded. “I think I’ll be all right.”

Hannibal let Will direct the cleanup of any place that they might have touched. Will moved his truck and covered their tracks till they hit the road. He threw the knife in the lake by his house and they burnt their clothes.

Will’s hand gently brushed the bruise Hannibal sustained when Kent had tackled him.

“I shouldn’t have left you,” Will said.

“You found me,” Hannibal leaned into the touch.

He did what he couldn’t do the first time around. He destroyed the monster that threatened him and the ones closest to him.

And Will was the closest person to him now. There was no one else he would have rather gone through this with.

Will smiled despite himself. He had hidden evidence in a murder and he didn’t have any regrets. None. He couldn’t help feeling this was a start of something he didn’t quite understand just yet.

***

Jack had called him and told him a dead officer had been discovered in his own basement when he failed to show up for his shift. The room was set up for a kid except for the locks on the door. As far as the FBI was concerned, this was a job for the local police.

Hannibal asked to stop by his house to check his mail and to finally fix the door Will broke.

They’d barely been in the house for twenty minutes when the front door rang.

“Want to hide while I answer it?” Will asked, grinning widely when he got a mock glare in return.

“I’ve been spending too much time in your company,” Hannibal shook his head, unable to resist a smile after a second.

“Why do you say that?”

“A rude gesture crossed my mind,” Hannibal said, with a overly dignified look. “Lucky for you I’m too much of a gentleman for such things.”

Will laughed and hurried to open the door. He swung it open and schooled his features not to flinch.

The woman at the door was a little more than a walking skeleton in his opinion. Short black hair cut into a bob, prominent collarbone and lips that made her look like she had been sucking on a lemon. Will reminded himself to smile.

“I need to speak to Dr. Lecter.” she said with a privileged authority Will would never understand.

“Are you a patient?” Will asked, keeping his eyes on her too red mouth.

“I am a friend, dear,” she gave a little laugh. “But maybe acquaintance would be a better term when it comes to Hannibal. Are you the young man that has been answering his phone?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Will said giving a curt nod.

“Have you been giving him my messages?” She frowned at him. “It is very important I get in touch with him.”

“Maybe it would help if you let me know what it’s about?” Will suggested. “I’ll let him know but as I’ve been telling you, he had a family emergency.”

“And he left you in charge of his affairs?” she asked, not bothering to hide how her eyes were running up and down, taking in his appearance and probably judging him.

“We’re friends,” Will said, unable to help a little sneer.

Her eyes darted behind him and she gasped. Over his shoulder he saw Hannibal peeking out of the dining room. Having been caught, the doctor could do nothing more but straighten out.

“You look awfully familiar, young man,” she said, stepping inside. “Are you related to Dr. Lecter?”

Hannibal gave her his most disarming smile and nodded.

Her hand quickly flew her mouth as she covered a gasp.

“I’m so sorry, I am intruding,” she quickly backed out, spinning on her heels, and made her way to the car parked out front.

“You have weird friends,” Will said after he closed the door.

“Present company included.”

***

“Oh, bugger,” Mrs. Komeda muttered as she took out the ancient piece of paper and held it out to the light. “You foolish old thing. This will teach you to read by candlelight.”

She went over the mixture of wax, berries, leaves and burnt hair and started to prepare a new spell.

Instead of finding happiness for the young doctor, her spell had sent him to the last time he had been truly happy.

She shook her head at the sad thought that the (comparably) young man hadn’t known happiness since such a tender age.

***

Hannibal twisted and turned on the bed. He no longer needed Will to keep the nightmares away. The ordeal with Kent had taught him that his size didn’t matter. He was still a hunter and a killer.

Right now though, it wasn’t a nightmare that made him restless.

He slipped his pajamas off, feeling unnaturally hot and moved to the cooler side of the bed.

***

“Will!”

Will groaned and turned over. He smiled sleepily at Hannibal and then jerked back realizing that he was face to face with the adult version of the man.

“You’re back!” Will grinned as he set up, then averted his eyes. “And naked.”

“I am,” Hannibal chuckled, too overjoyed at being back to normal to care. “It seems my underwear no longer fit.”

“I can imagine,” Will says, eyes traveling over the broad shoulders, the solid chest that dipped into a narrow waist. Will’s head jerked back up. “I meant, I can get you a pair.”

“I’d be grateful,” the doctor said, grinning, widely and without a trace of fabrication.

Will couldn’t help returning the smile.

“Will?” Hannibal asked, licking his lips.

“Yes?”

“The sooner you find a pair of underwear for me, the sooner I can get breakfast started,” the doctor said, chuckling.

“Yeah, breakfast,” Will got out of bed so Hannibal wouldn’t see him blush. If the doctor kept smiling at him like that, Will was going to find their sessions very uncomfortable.

He handed over the newest pair he owned and turned around so the doctor could slip them on.

“Sorry, I don’t have any with boats on them,” Will couldn’t resist teasing.

“These will do,” Hannibal laughed. “Think I can trouble you for a shirt?”

Will almost groaned. Right, shirt. What was he thinking? He got a white tank top and   
threw it to the other man. He watched as the man slipped it on, how it stretched at the shoulders.

Will was defiantly not think thinking of the small boy that he had carried through the mall or up to bed.

He thought of the genuine smile that didn’t exist a few days ago.

“Will?” Hannibal asked, invading Will’s space in the name of professional observation. 

“Are you all right?”

“Yeah,” Will nodded, not backing away. “It’s just strange.”

“Stranger than waking up as a child?”

Will shrugged, “We still don’t know what happened. What if you turn back?”

Hannibal bit his lip but didn’t lose his smile, “Than I think it’s best I keep you close.”

End

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is anyone else going to miss mini Lecter? 
> 
> I wanted a happier Hannibal, now that we have him, I don't know what to do with him. Sequel? 
> 
> Oh, well, you know where to find me! Back to the Hanni-verse!

**Author's Note:**

> I tried. I got more in the works. Let me know what you think!


End file.
